This isn't Love comes softly My own story!
by Hannah Wicklund
Summary: This is the first chapter of the book I have written, titled, Margaret Welter. I will post more if people review and say I should, and if they like it. So I'm just trying this out. Thanks for reading. And I hope you enjoy it! :D
1. Chapter 1

Margaret and the Annoying Boy / Chapter One

"At last!" Margaret Beth Welter sighed, as she stooped down in their soon to be garden at her and families new house they just got settled in. She pulled out a stubborn weed from out of the dark brown soil, she threw it to the side. Her wide brimmed flowered hat shading her face from the hot spring sun, with a couple of strands of her golden brown locks.

It was the long year of 1835. She and her mother and father, and servants had just moved to the state of Virginia. They wanted for their only daughter to go to a school nearby in town, who would accept girls. And her parents also decided, that they wanted to have a nice size plantation, so they moved onto a nice size of land, and house.

Margaret glanced up, as she heard the sound of horses hoofs coming to a stop, and a sound of wheels being dragged along. There was a carriage in the driveway, coming to a halt. A middle aged man jumped down, along with a boy, appealing with light brown colored hair. He helped a young girl down, with ringlet blond hair. And then he helped a light brunette middle aged women down from the carriage, as the middle aged man, tied the horses' reigns to a hitching post.  
After the two adults, and girl and boy went to the front door, out of sight from Margaret's view, she could hear their new house keeper, Kathleen, call, "Margaret child! Your mother wants you in the parlor! We have guest!"  
Margaret quickly stood up, and wiped her hands against her white apron, then quickly took it off, and hurried to the back door, nearby, carrying her apron.  
Once she was inside, she handed her apron to Kathleen, whom stood there waiting. Margaret also quickly took off her straw hat, and handed it to Kathleen.  
"Hurry to the parlor now." The tall slender dark haired housekeeper quickly reminded her.  
"Yes, ma'am." Margaret quickly replied, as she straitened her green dress. She smiled at the housekeeper, then quickly went down the corridor, and stood in front of the open French doors, leading to the main parlor.  
"Come on in, dear. I would like you to meet our next door plantation owners. The Anderson's." Margaret's mother told her, from inside the room, as she sat on a settee.  
Margaret shyly nodded, walked inside the room, and over to the two adults and their two children.  
"Hello, Miss Margaret. Your mother has told us a little bet about you." Said the women, as she sat on a settee, drinking tea.  
"Hello, how do you do, Mrs. Anderson?" Margaret curtseyed. The women nodded, as she smiled.  
"I am, Mr. Anderson." Said the middle aged man. "And these young ones, are- Henry and Truly. Our two children." He said.  
Margaret quietly glanced at the boy and girl sitting down on a couch next to their father and mother, shyly drinking tea. Henry had sandy brown hair with deep brown eye's.  
"We moved to Virginia to start a plantation and hoping I can go to some sort of ladies boarding school, once we've got things settled on our new plantation."  
"Awe-" said Mr. Anderson. He turned towards his son and daughter, and said, "Henry, and Truly, this is Mr. and Mrs. Welter's daughter, Margaret, our new neighbor girl."  
The tall handsome boy stood up immediately, and smiled. "Hello. Very nice to make your acquaintance." said Henry with a broad smile. "I'm am, of course, my father already told you, Henry Anderson. And this is my little sister-"  
"Truly." Interrupted the girl. Her blue eyes sparkling, as she smiled at Margaret. "I'm Truly Anderson. I'm ten years old. How old are you, Margaret?" She asked.  
Margaret smiled. "That's a very interesting name! Oh, I am only fourteen years of age." She turned toward Henry. "How about you, Henry?" She asked him.  
"Oh, I'm fifteen years old." He told her.  
"My, my! Isn't that nice? We're all pretty close in age!" Margaret exclaimed, she sat down on a chair next to Truly.  
"Darling, would you like some tea?" Mrs. Welter asked from across the room. "I'll ring up for Betsey to  
pour you some."  
"Oh, yes, I would love some. But I can do it my self. Thank you" Margaret replied, she stood back up, and went over to the tea cart, and got a tea cup and saucer, and poured herself some mint tea. She sat back down, and took a sip of the hot liquid.  
At that moment, Margaret heard some one come in through the front door. Their negro maid, Betsey was saying, "Right ober heah, Mista Welta', in de parlor."  
"Thank you so much, Betsey." Replied Mr. Welter.  
A moment later, he appeared at the door way of the fancy parlor. He had dark Black hair, and was about in his early fourties  
. He smiled broadly, and said, "Hello, dear Margaret. I was just out talking to our new caretaker, Job." He looked over at the guest and asked his wife, "Darling, I see that we have our first guest! Who may I be addressing?" He threw his wife a teasingly wink.  
Mrs. Welter fluttered her golden brown eye lashes, and smiled, as she said, "Honey, these are our next door neighbors, the Anderson's. They had just heard that we moved in, and brought us some cheese and bread. And I offered them to stay for a while for tea. And to meet you and Margaret." She explained.  
"Well, let me introduce myself, my name is, Michael Welter. Of course, you already know that I'm Liz Welter's father-I mean, husband." He blushed, as he glanced at his wife.  
Mrs. Welter scowled at him, and said, "Your not that old, darling. Stop teasing me like that, I know you did it on purpose."  
"Awe, yes, you caught me. Any way, who are these young ones here?" He asked, looking over at Truly and Henry.  
"Oh, yes, these are our two children- Henry, and Truly. Henry's fifteen, and Truly's ten." Mrs. Anderson said to him.  
"Well, hello you two." Mr. Welter said, smiling at them. "Just around Margaret's age." He grinned at Margaret. "Nice to have children your age. Huh, Margaret?"  
Margaret nodded, "Yes, of course it is." Mr. Welter looked at Mr. Anderson. "Well, you must be Phil Anderson, I reason?" He said.  
"Yes, I indeed am." Replied Mr. Anderson.  
"Well, would you like to go walk around out side, maybe to the barn, with me, Mr. Anderson?" Mr. Welter asked.  
"Yes, of course, I would. You can just call me Phil. That's my first name." said Mr. Anderson.  
"Alrighty, Phil, then, let's get going." said Mr. Welter.  
Mr. Anderson rose, and kissed his wife on the cheek, and went along with Mr. Welter. The two men went outside. And then the real conversations began…  
Margaret's mother and Mrs. Anderson quickly got engrossed into a conversation about the town. So Margaret decided to break the awkward silence between her, Henry and Truly.  
Margaret opened her mouth to say something, but Henry spoke first.  
"So, Margaret, what kind of live-stock is your family planning on raising here at your new plantation?" He asked her.  
"Horses, chickens, and cows, for sure. And we're going to start growing cotton, I think; we're planning on hiring some workers to do that. And we are already starting on a garden, and a orchard." Margaret explained.  
"Sounds much like our plantation." Commented Truly with a slight smile.  
"Yes, almost seems like your copying ours." Henry told her.  
Margaret didn't know if he was teasing or not, so she replied, "We have never even seen your plantation, Mr. Henry Anderson! For your information, do you know where we were before we moved here?" She started to get a little angry, as she tightened up in her chair.  
"No. Where?" asked Henry, calmly with a glimmer in his eye's.  
"We lived up in the mountains. With my grandmother. But-" she paused, sadly, then went on, "Then she-she past on . And our whole family lived close to her, so we had no reason to stay up there. My father always wanted to live on a plantation, and so did my mother. And I'm starting to think- / do also."  
"I hope you don't mind me saying so, Miss Margaret Welter, but- What on earth is your point?" Henry rudely interfered.  
Margaret had not come across such a rude boy in her entire life!

"Hank." Truly interrupted, as she noticed it was turning into an argument. "Mother and Mrs. Welter are glancing our way. Please, stop you two." she pleaded.  
Margaret and Henry looked over at the two women sitting across the room, they were looking at them, then turned their heads, and continued on with their own conversation.  
Margaret turned back to Henry, and said, "Now, Henry Ruderson!"  
Henry frowned, and tried to speak, but Margaret spoke louder, and didn't let him.  
"Your just a annoying and rude boy! My point is, by the way, is- Well, I don't even want to say it anymore! You have no respect for my dead grandmother!"  
She suddenly noticed she was actually shouting, as her mother loudly said across the room, "Margaret Beth Welter! What on earth are you talking about? What makes you speak to our guess in such a rude manner? And what do you speak of my mother, that would make you offended?"  
Margaret's heart sank. She didn't want to even mention her grandmother in front of her father or mother. They we're so hurt by her death. "Mother, I-1 just-" She began hesitantly. She glanced at Truly and Henry. Truly was looking at her black buckled shoes. And Henry had a blank face, and was watching Mrs. Welter.  
Margaret finally blurted it all out. "Mother, me- me and Henry had a sort of a argument, I guess you'd say." She told her. "But I did not start it, mother!"  
She told her mother what she and Henry said to each other, that started the argument.  
Mrs. Welter looked at Mrs. Anderson speechless. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Anderson. But I guess you and your family should go. No hard feelings, but I have to talk to my daughter about politeness and respect and honor." She looked over at the three young people.  
"I understand, Liz. I have to make it to town before noon, anyway, so the mail man will send my letter to my sister in New York." said Mrs. Anderson, she rose from her chair, and called to her two children. They both slowly walked over to their mother, and she whispered to them some thing, that Margaret couldn't hear from where she was sitting.  
Before she knew it, Henry Anderson walked over to her, and held out his hand. "Please accept my apologies, Miss Welter. " Henry said, still extending his hand. "I am truly sorry for what I had said. You are right, it was my fault. I started it. I admit. But I didn't mean to offend you, Miss Margaret. I was only trying to give you a hard time"  
Margaret tried to act stubborn, she stuck her nose in the air, and looked him right in his deep brown eyes. "So, you do admit that I was right, huh?" She asked him.  
He looked back at his mother, standing by the parlor doorway, then looked back at Margaret. He nodded.  
"Well!" Margaret exclaimed. "Then I accept your apologies, Sir Henry." Margaret reluctantly said. She gave his hand a slight yank, with the tips of her fingers.  
Henry then turned to leave.  
After their family had left, Margaret sighed, as she took the last sip of her tea.  
Ugh , / don't think I want them to be our next door neighbors. Margaret thought to herself. Henry's just a annoying boy!  
Margaret was brought out of her thoughts, by her mother saying, "Darling, now that we're pretty much settled, almost; your father and I are trying to decide if we should send you to a ladies school, we're thinking, "Mane ladies school". We're not quite sure yet, though. But we applied there, and one of the teachers, named, Ms. Cochoe , is suppose to write back soon." Her mother explained.  
Margaret looked up at her mother. "Oh that will be grand, mother!" She exclaimed.  
But what she was really secretly thinking was: / won't tell Henry that I'm leaving, and when he comes to start a argument or to annoy me, I won't even be here! Ha! I'll see what he'll do after that!


	2. Chapter 2

Henry and Ted… / Chapter Two

After breakfast, Margaret and her mother headed off to town.  
When they came into Mr. Barken's store, Margaret immediately noticed a blue and pink beautiful ball gown! Margaret excitedly walked over to it and held it up to her.  
"I think it will fit!" she said aloud to her self.  
Mrs. Welter came over to her daughter.  
"Oh, that is a lovely dress, dear." Mrs. Welter commented.  
"I know! Isn't it? Mother, could I get it please?" Margaret begged.  
Mrs. Welter looked at the price tag and sighed.  
Margaret went on. "Mother, I could bring it to school, I could really use it!" she reminded her mother.  
"Darling, 'tis very expensive." her mother told her.  
Margaret's smile went away as she listened to her mother as she examined the dress she was holding.  
"Its exactly half the price to make the same exact dress!" her mother reminded her.  
"But, mother - It would be way to difficult to make this exact dress." Margaret pleaded.  
"I -I guess your right, Margaret, well-" Her mother hesitated. "I guess this is the only dress your getting today store bought for a while then." Mrs. Welter decided.  
Margaret gasped. She excitedly hugged her mother then said, "Can I buy a hat and some ribbons, though?" Margaret begged.  
Mrs. Welter nodded in agreement. So Margaret hastily searched through all the hats and ribbons almost in the entire store.  
When Margaret and her mother arrived home. Margaret put all of her new things away in her bedroom, and changed into her work clothes to do some gardening.  
She stooped down in clean fresh dark soil, and put a pinch of sun flower seeds in the soil, then covered it up, then watered it. Suddenly Margaret heard something behind her running towards her.  
"Hey Ted slow down!" She could hear Henry call, as two boys stopped behind her, watching.  
"Oh no, a girl!" Henry's friend Ted said, teasing Margaret.  
The two young boys laughed at their joke.  
Then right when Margaret was rising from the ground, to reply.  
Henry teased back with his friend. "That's not even a girl, Ted. That is our next door neighbor girl, Margaret. Remember what I told you about her?" Henry laughed, as he looked at Margaret's angry face. Her face reddened, as she felt her temper rise.  
"Excuse me?" She yelled angrily at the boys.  
The two boys looked at each other, worried.  
"This is my friend, Ted." Henry tried to change the subject.  
Margaret scowled. "Hello Teddy!" she replied, wanting to get them on their way as soon as possible.  
The boys exchanged glances and shrugged.  
"No. It's Ted." Ted corrected.  
"I heard you. I'll call you what I please!" She stubbornly told him.  
"So, uh, do you want to show us your room?" Henry asked, as he almost laughed at Margaret's behavior.  
Margaret couldn't believe he asked that. Of course she didn't want to show them her bedroom. She was about to express this to them, when her mother suddenly said:  
"Of course she'd like to show you two boys her room." She smiled at her daughter. "Don't you, darling?"  
Margaret sighed. She didn't want her mother to be asking why she didn't want to show them her room, and plus, Margaret knew it was rude not to.  
"Yes, sure I do." Margaret reluctantly told them. "Right this way."  
Margaret led the two boys into the house, and up the long staircase that led to all the bedrooms and such.  
When the three came in Margaret's room, she had some glass dolls on her bed, that she had been looking at to keep for antiques, that her grandmother had passed down to her.  
Ted immediately welcomed himself in, and walked over to Margaret's bed and picked one up.  
He giggled, "You play with dolls still, Margaret?" he asked about to laugh. Margaret walked quickly over to him and suddenly slapped him as hard as she could.  
Both boys looked shocked, especially Ted, his right cheek was bright red. Margaret smirked. "And you can't slap me back." she reminded him smart-alecky.  
Ted frowned.  
Margaret motioned them both to leave. "And set my doll down!" she instructed him.  
"Margaret! I'll have to tell your parents about this one." Henry told her crossly. Margaret shrugged her shoulders. "Go ahead Hank! I don't care. I'll be going to school in a week or two any way. And you and Teddy won't be seeing me around anyways." she told him smirking.  
Henry just stood there listening, then said, "Your leaving? Well good! I don't want to be seeing you around, anyhow!"  
Margaret thought to her self, He doesn't seem very disappointed.  
"Yes, now leave! I am ignoring you and your friend for now on!" She almost pushed Ted  
out of her room. And Henry left quickly, with nothing else to say.

~:~

Margaret felt a little bad for being so mean to Henry and his friend, but she thought they sort of deserved it.

As Margaret sat there quietly at the dinner table, during dinner, with a dark purple dress on and her hair in a half pony tail, there was a loud knock on the front door.  
"Oh, I wonder who that might be." Mr. Welter said, as he took his cloth napkin to his lips.

Margaret squirmed in her seat, she thought it might have been their next store neighbors, the Andersons coming to give Margaret a lecture for being mean and rude to their son and his friend.  
Kathleen answered the door and all Margaret could hear was a couple of mumbles. Margaret's eyes grew big. It has to be the Anderson's! she thought to herself.  
Then Kathleen came in the dining room and handed Mrs. Welter two telegrams on a tray.  
Whew! Margaret thought to herself. as Kathleen exited the room.

"Who are the telegrams from?" Margaret asked quickly.  
"Well ones from Ms. Cochoe, the school teacher." Her mother paused as she ate a spoonful of tomato soup, then went on. "and the other is from, Lady Cathlyn." Mrs. Welter smiled.  
Margaret gasped. Anxiously she asked, "Mother, could you read the telegrams out loud to Me and father?"  
"Sure darling." her mother said as she opened the letter from the Mayor, and read.

Dear friends of the community, I am most proud to announce that I, Mayor of North Street Virginia, is hosting a grand summer ball tomorrow, at seven a clock.  
Children are included to join on this special occasion.  
~Mayor, Cathlyn~

Margaret gasped. "Oh a ball! how wonderful! I can come also mother, right?"  
Mrs. Welter nodded. "It did say children also, dear, you know?" her mother reminded her smiling. "And what dose the teacher say?" Mr. Welter asked. "Oh yes, Ms. Cochoe. well, this is a invitation to her school, for you, Margaret." Mrs. Welter told them. Then she unfolded the letter and read aloud:  
"Dear Parents of Margaret Welter. I am one of the two teachers at Mane Ladies Boarding-school. My name is Miss Cochoe. This boarding school is for girls only. Ages within ten to sixteen. It starts up in three weeks. We would all love to have your daughter participating in our school activities, such as, balls, learning dances, tea socials, and much, much more. We also include French lessons if you so choose to pay extra for that. Students will stay at our boarding school for about two to four weeks at a time. They also come home for holidays, and sometimes weekends. If you decide to let your daughter, Margaret, attend our school; drop her off at the Victorian rail-road station.  
P.s I must warn you, pets are not allowed in the school. Feel free to ask any questions or want more information, just write to us. ~Miss, Christina Cochoe~"

Margaret's mother folded the paper, while Mr. Welter leaned in and kissed  
his wife on the cheek. "Ms. Cochoe, huh? She has awfully nice hand writing." He commented.

"Yes, and Margaret should learn how to write even better than that." Mrs. Welter encouraged her daughter.  
Margaret took a bite of turkey, and thought about how wonderful the ball would be tomorrow night. And she wondered if she would make any friends at the new school she would be attending. It was all unknown, but Margaret would know the answers soon.


End file.
